Cumtux 2003 Vol 23 No 1 Winter

52 Pages·2003·4.6 MB·English

by  Clatsop County Historical Society

CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
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Clatsop County Historical Society
SUMT
CLATSOP COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
w) J 1 LT UX
714 Exchange
P.O. Box 88
Astoria, Oregon 97103 CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
325-2203 QUARTERLY
Heritage Museum Vol. 23, No. 1 — Winter 2003
16th and Exchange
Copyright © 2003 Clatsop County Historical Society
Flavel House (ISSN 1083-9216)
8th and Duane
Uppertown Firefighters Museum
30th and Marine Drive
Contents:
BOARD of DIRECTORS
2 CANTON ZURICH TO
Randy Stemper, Astoria
CLATSOP COUNTY:
President
A Tale of Four Brothers and a Swiss Miss
Marsha Ettro, Svensen
Vice-President By Robert Utzinger
Kent Easom, Astoria
Secretary 21 MAL-TREATMENT OF SAILORS AT
Greg Panichello, Astoria
ASTORIA AND AT PORTLAND
Treasurer
From the Sailor’s Magazine & Seaman’s
Jane Gable, Gearhart
Friend, Feb. 1887
Jean Harrison, Astoria
Cathy Peterson, Astoria
Patricia Roberts, Gearhart 24 CENTERFOLD: River Walk in Astoria
Yvonne Starr, Astoria
29 SAILING VESSELS DOCUMENTED
STAFF
AT ASTORIA IN 1889
Liisa Penner
From the Daily Astorian of Jan. 15, 1889
Curator of Collections
Cumtux Editor
34 THE RETURN OF THE SKULL OF
Lisa Studts
CHIEF COMCOMLY
Curator of Interpretation
By Liisa Penner
Martha Dahl
Business Manager
44 THE KING AND QUEEN OF ASTORIA
Chuck Bean
By Terri Vineyard
Preparator
Charlotte Hallaux
Jackie Thackery Front Cover: The children of C.C. and Sophie
FH Volunteer Coordinators Utzinger in 1887. Left front, Hattie; left rear, Mary;
center, Grover; and right, Nellie.
Alma Jackson
Volunteer Membership/
Memorials Clerk Printer. Anchor Graphics, Astoria, Oregon
Carol Lambert EEE
Annabell Miller
CUMTUxX: Chinook jargon:
Marlene Taylor
WaverlieWarila “To know...to inform”
Volunteer Archives Clerks
Fiangmeirl y
CtUohtofe u rtesy
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Sophie and Conrad Carl Utzinger in Crookston, Minnesota, ca. 1880
Clatsop County Historical Society
The Utzinger Family in Clatsop County
Canton Zurich to Clatsop County
A Tale of Four Brothers and a Swiss Miss
By Robert Utzinger
Introduction U.S.A. but remained in Wisconsin and
This historical narrative is con- Minnesota and are not included in this
cerned with the four Utzinger brothers history.
and a young Swiss lass who emigrated The writer was unable to give equal
from Canton Zurich, Switzerland in the space to all four of the brothers for sev-
nineteenth century, passing through eral reasons. One reason was that C.C.
New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Utzinger and Sophie Ringger were his
Minnesota and eventually settling as far grandparents, and as a result, he had
west as possible, on the shores of the greater firsthand knowledge about that
Pacific Ocean, in Clatsop County, Ore- line than the other three. Another was
gon, U.S.A. The four brothers were: that John was a resident of Clatsop
Conrad Carl (C.C.) (1847-1909) County for only a short period of time.
And Jake emigrated much later to the
Jacob Carl (Jake) (1848-1923)
U.S., twelve years after C.C. The writer
John Nathan (1851-1939)
had a personal acquaintance with only
Albert William (Al) (1853-1936)
one of the brothers, Albert William.
The Swiss Miss was:
Sophie Elizabeth Ringger (1850-1938) Brother #1, Carl C. (C.C.) Utzinger
All four brothers were born at C.C. Utzinger and Sophie Ringger
Bachenbulach, Canton Zurich, Switzer- were emigrants from Switzerland to the
land. Their parents were Heinrich U.S.A. in 1868. Both of the families
Utzinger (1809-?) and Susanna Muller were in the textile business and were
Utzinger (1818-?) who were married in involved in setting up a lace manufac-
1838. The Swiss Miss was born in turing factory in New Jersey. C.C. was
Hirzel, Canton Zurich, the daughter of to help provide supervision of the
Rudolph Ringger and Anna Forster. She installation and the operation of the
married C.C. in 1877. machinery, and Sophie was to train and
The four brothers were part of a oversee the young women employed in
family that consisted of fourteen chil- the factory.
dren, nine boys and five girls. Susanna C.C. found the New Jersey climate
had fourteen children in the space of 18 intolerable and moved on to Wisconsin
years. Several of the four brothers’ sib- where some members of the family had
lings and uncles also immigrated to the already settled. He applied for U.S. citi-
Cumtux — Vol. 23, No. | — Winter 2003 >)
zenship in Eau Claire in 1873. How This is where Sophie gave birth to
long Sophie remained in New Jersey is Otto and Willie (Bill) completing the
unknown. It is known she was not family unit.
happy about leaving her family in C.C. and his brother Al were agents
Switzerland. There must have been con- for the Gambrinus Brewing Company.
siderable family pressure as she always (For some reason, legal ownership of
said she didn’t emigrate, she was the business was in the name of S.E.
“imported.” She returned to Switzer- Utzinger, his wife.)
land at least once, reentering the U.S.A. In addition to the saloon business,
in 1876. (Sophie always traveled cabin C.C. operated the North Pacific Bot-
class, the brothers in steerage. ) tling Works behind their first home on
In 1877, she and C.C. journeyed to the south side of Bond Street at 2nd.
Switzerland where they were married By the turn of the century, C.C. had
that year. Returning to the U.S., they set- purchased a home across the street on
tled in Crookston, Minnesota where C.C. the north side of Bond and had left the
operated a general merchandise store. saloon and the glass and bottle works to
An 1881 Crookston newspaper pursue other interests.
account states that C.C. would be going In March 1901, two loggers were
to Saint Paul on December 10th for the cruising (counting) timber two miles
purpose of purchasing a complete new west of Elsie when they noted free gold
stock of general merchandise with the nuggets on the face of a natural land-
intention of filling the store from cellar slide. C.C. must have considered this
to garret. The editor remarked that C.C. important news, as it was a two day trip
was an old and well known Crookston each way from Astoria to Elsie in order
citizen who should do a large business to stake his 600x1500 foot claim. On
with the new holiday stock. April 11, C.C. recorded gold mining
Sophie, in the meantime, kept busy. claim #22 in the Cruiser’s Gold Mining
William was born in 1878, Nellie District. (See Lyle Anderson’s article in
arrived in 1880, with May, Hattie, and Summer 1996 Cumtux for more on
Grover arriving at two year intervals mining in Clatsop County.)
thereafter. To continue the claim, the prospec-
Things were going well for C.C. in tor had to invest at least $100.00 a year.
Crookston, and he was elected mayor. It is doubtful that he maintained the
However, his youngest brother Al had claim or that he was able to extract any
some problems in Crookston and head- gold from the claim.
ed west, ending up in Astoria. C.C. was C.C. also applied for land patents for
apparently impressed with the reports homesteads in Clatsop County, Section
he received from brother Al regarding 31, Township 6N, Range 6W. There is
prospects in Astoria, so in 1887 he no record of any development of the
moved the family to the West Coast. homesteads.
He installed the family in the second C.C. was a charter member of the
floor living quarters above the Gambri- Sons of Herman Lodge and was elected
nus Saloon which he operated at the “The Noble Grand” of the Independent
southeast corner of 12th and Commer- Order of Odd Fellows Lodge, as well as
cial, the present location of the Liberty holding state office. He was also presi-
Theater.
dent of Astoria Tobacco and Liquor
Clatsop County Historical Society
1923), to accompany C.C.’s brother,
Jacob Carl, to the U.S. in 1880. Mary,
two years Sophie’s junior, joined the
family as a live-in maid and companion
for Sophie, and remained with the fam-
ily many years.
At one point, she left the family for
a higher paying position with one of
Astoria’s wealthiest families. Within a
year, she returned to Sophie’s family,
FtUCohtafoe zmu irintlgeyes ry
stating that the other family was diffi-
cult to work for, and failed to treat her
with respect.
She continued working for Sophie
for the remainder of her life, and at her
death in 1923, she was buried in the
family plot at Greenwood.
he For years, Sophie lamented the fact
Sophie Ringger Utzinger that after her marriage, she had never
Ca. 1890. Mooers Studio, Astoria been able to return to Switzerland and
visit with relatives and school friends.
Dealers Association. These connections In 1906, her family purchased her pas-
proved a real asset when he left the sage to and from Switzerland for a six-
saloon business and entered politics. In month visit.
1898, he was elected to his first term on Shortly after she arrived in Switzer-
the City Council and four years later, he land, the family received the startling
was elected president of the Council. In news that she was returning at once. The
1906, he was named Constable of Asto- six-month stay was shortened to less
ria. Unfortunately, his political career than six weeks. When she was ques-
was cut short in 1909 when at the age of tioned about her trip, she stated, “Every-
62 he died from a combination of ail- thing was fine, the train, the steamer, the
ments. riverboats, the relatives, the school-
The Astoria Budget noted that “Mr. mates, and Switzerland, but I wanted to
Utzinger was always liberal, public- get back to Astoria.” She never men-
spirited, and a worker for the advance- tioned returning to Switzerland again.
ment and building up of the city and One sidelight of the trip was that
was identified with many of the public Sophie brought back Swiss watches for
improvement leagues.” everyone. When someone asked about
Backtracking to the Swiss Miss side the duty on them, she remarked, “I had
of the family: as stated earlier, Sophie paid for them once in Switzerland and |
was not at all pleased with what, in her wasn’t going to pay for them again in
mind, was her forced relocation to the the United States.” When asked where
U.S.A. she hid them, she pointed to her ample
In order to partially alleviate her dis- bosom.
pleasure, she and C.C. arranged for her Sophie was a devout Episcopalian,
cousin, Mary Hegetschweiler (1852 - attending Grace Episcopal Church
Cumtux — Vol. 23, No. | — Winter 2003 P)
every Sunday with her daughter May, Santa arrived and the sliding double
who sang in the choir. They walked doors thrown open from the sitting
from the Bond Street home to and from room, candles on the tree were lit, and
the church until Sophie was well along the presents were distributed.
in years. When she was asked when she was
The house on Bond Street [364 going to remarry, she always replied,
Bond] had three heated rooms; a large “Once is enough.”
range in the kitchen, a woodburning On November 24, 1938, Sophie was
stove in the dining room, and fireplace- stoking the heating stove in the dining
heating stove in the sitting room. A room when her apron caught fire. Her
dumb waiter lifted the wood out of the screams attracted Mrs. J.W. Carlson,
basement. The residence was wired for employed by the family, who was
electricity. The gas sconces, which upstairs working at the time. Mrs. Carl-
were not utilized, remained in place. son made a heroic attempt to save
For her grandchildren, the primitive Sophie’s life. She wrapped Sophie,
toilet was a fascinating piece of equip- whose clothing was enveloped in fire,
ment with its tank up at the ceiling and in a rug and succeeded in extinguishing
the long chain suspended therefrom. It the flames. Displaying remarkable
was impossible to visit Sophie’s house endurance considering her 88 years,
without “pulling the chain.” Another Sophie lived for twelve hours after the
intriguing feature was the way the accident, although severe burns cov-
kitchen towel rolled off the clean roller ered her entire body.
onto the soiled roller. The grandchil- Sophie was one of the last of a
dren unrolled many yards of towels, dwindling number of pioneer Astoria
much to Sophie’s chagrin. women. She was laid to rest alongside
The clouds of World War I were her husband in the family plot at Green-
now looming on the horizon and soon wood Cemetery. My mother, Hazel,
affected life in Astoria. The German visited her several hours before she
speaking Swiss American Ladies Club died and in her heavy Swiss accent she
that Sophie belonged to disbanded, due remarked, “Hessel, who vood tot I’m in
to the animosity toward German der horstpital like dis?”
speaking citizens. All three of Sophie’s Sophie told the writer that, as a
sons enlisted. Grover, in the U.S. Army teenage student she vividly remem-
Infantry, spent the war stationed at bered the assassination of Abraham
Camp Pike, Arkansas; Otto served in Lincoln and the effect it had on her par-
the US Army Medical Corps in France, ents and other adults. The assassination
and Bill as a sailor on a destroyer in the was the topic of conversation and was
Atlantic. All three sons returned home headlined in newspapers for many
safely and resumed civilian life. weeks. She could not understand why
Life now settled into a pleasant pat- an incident so far distant could domi-
tern for Sophie, with summers at the nate the news and conversations. After
Mansur cottages at Silver Point in Can- she came to the U.S.A. she became
non Beach and Christmas Eve parties aware of the Civil War, slavery, and
after the Episcopal Church children’s secession; she realized the reasons for
program, with great Swiss pastries. No the interest of Swiss adults.
one was allowed in the front parlor until
Clatsop County Historical Society
The Grace [Episcopal] Church tribution to the family finances was
Leaflet for November 27, 1938 very important. The arrangement where
described Sophie Utzinger in this way: the older brother or older sister worked
to provide funds for the higher educa-
Mother Utzinger
tion of the younger family members
“Mother Utzinger,” that is what
was not uncommon at that time and, in
she was called; that is what she was
this case, enabled May and Hattie to
to us all. No one in these recent
attend college.
years has had the better right to this
In 1897, Nellie was one of the
title. She has earned it by unselfish-
princesses of the first Astoria Regatta
ness, thoughtfulness and devotion to
court. (See page 115 and 116 of “A Pic-
others. Where she was she brought
torial History of Astoria” for pictures
God’s sunshine and sweetness. And
of Nellie and the 1897 Regatta.)
those of us who had the good fortune
In 1909, Nellie was elected presi-
to know her, feel that we have been
dent of the D.M.C.D. club. This ladies
blessed and privileged, that the
social club took its name from the ini-
world was a better world because
tials of the company that provided the
she lived in it. “May she,” in the
thread on the wooden spools in use at
words of the collect for today, “rise
that time. The girls’ (Nellie, May, and
to the life immortal” and “may light
Hattie were always called “the girls”
perpetual shine upon her.”
regardless of age) social life revolved
The next generation around the D.M.C.D. Club. This was a
Moving on to the next generation: looseknit group of ladies with pioneer
by 1890, the family unit was complete Astoria backgrounds, also known as the
with the children making their way sewing club. They met monthly to sew,
through McClure Grade School in but in reality, to savor the hostess’
Astoria. repast and to catch up on the latest gos-
As the girls grew older, they initial- sip in Astoria. Members of the “sewing
ly found themselves excluded from club” included Bess Reed Hutchinson,
some social circles due to their father’s Bertha Hobson Halderman, Dr. Clara
occupation as a saloonkeeper. This Young Waffle, Barbara Knapp Halder-
form of subtle snobbery died down man, Eva Holmes, Lil Smith Utzinger,
soon after their father left the saloon and Elizabeth Utzinger, Marie Utzinger
business in 1894 and with the evolve- Thomason, Sophie Utzinger, Hazel
ment of the careers of two of their Utzinger, and many others.
brothers in banking and medicine. As a One unique feature of the club was
result, they were able to enjoy a full that each guest was assigned a task
social schedule in various organizations according to the guest’s sewing special-
in the city. ty and the wishes of the hostess at the
Nellie (1879-1936), the oldest, grad- meeting. Each member had a specialty:
uated with the third Astoria High i.e. hem stitching beautiful large dinner
School graduating class in 1895. After napkins, luncheon cloths, bed linens,
her graduation, she found employment darning, mending, embroidery, knit-
at Foard and Stokes as a bookkeeper, ting, crochet, smocking, beautiful hand-
later moving on to Johnson and Morri- made baby clothes, whatever the host-
son in the same capacity. Nellie’s con- ess desired, and of course, Sophie's out-
Cumtux — Vol. 23, No. 1 — Winter 2003 f|
1#CP9 hC0oHt6So- 00U
May Utzinger, in 1912
Clatsop County Historical Society